A more practical application of this might be a taser. Lower the voltage and amps and maybe now you can hit someone multiple times at larger distances. I doubt it would shoot one hundred yards but farther than conventional tasers.

The "less lethal" use probably has a lot of technical details to contend with. How strong a laser you can use, will/can it be eye-safe, and what voltages are incapacitating vs. fatal, etc.

In comparison the brute force "man-made lightning bolt" is pretty straight forward. The project's primary motivation and driver is the desire for a reliable remote way to neutralize or detonate land mines and IEDs, because the current means are either sending an EOD robot or person up to it. A job that is very hard and expensive on either.